In general, a bill processing apparatus, which is one of the embodiments of the paper sheet apparatus, is incorporated into a service device such as a game medium rental machine installed in a game hall, a vending machine or a ticket-vending machine installed in a public space, or the like which identifies the validity of a bill inserted from a bill insertion slot by a user and provides various types of products and services in accordance with a value of the bill having been judged as valid. Such a bill processing apparatus includes a bill insertion slot into which the bill is inserted, a bill conveyance mechanism which conveys the bill having been inserted into the bill insertion slot, and a bill identification part which judges the validity of the bill to be conveyed (and also called authenticity judgment).
Usually, in the bill processing apparatus as described above, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, an open/close member is installed so as to be openable and closable with respect to its frame, to form a bill traveling route through which a bill is conveyed between the surface of the frame and the rear surface of the open/close member, and conveyor members (conveyor rollers, belts, and the like) that actually convey a bill are installed so as to face the bill traveling route.
In the aforementioned configuration, a bill insertion slot into which the bill is inserted is to guide the bill to the bill traveling route. As shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, right-angled upright portions are formed on the both sides of the frame having the bill traveling route, and a plate is installed between the upright portions to be overlapped with the frame, to form the bill insertion slot and the bill traveling route between the surface of the frame and the rear surface of the plate. In such a configuration, when the bill is inserted into the bill insertion slot, the bill may get stuck in a gap between the upright portions formed on the both sides of the frame and the plate installed between the upright portions. In such a case, the bill is easily bent, and it is difficult to push the bill for insertion.
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese unexamined utility model application publication No. S63-89181